Unitized severable drapery carriers



J. E. DWYER UNITIZED SEVERABLE DRAPERY CARRIERS Filed July 15, 1957 Jan. 3, 1961 JNVENIDR 22 JAMES E. DWVER BYQMMM ATTORNEY United States Patent UNTIIZED SEVERABLE DRAPERY CARRIERS James E. Dwyer, P.0. Box 3689, San Francisco, Calif. Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. No. 671,876

1 Claim. (Cl. 16-93) This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for slidably supporting hangings such as curtains and drapes. More particularly my invention relates to traverse fixtures having a plurality of slidable carriers each adapted to receive a hook secured to the top edge of a drape.

For years the practicehad been to assemble in each channel-shaped traverse the desired number of slidable carriers. This had to be done as a hand operation with the insertion of the carriers into the traverse one at a time. The operator was also required to count out individually the number of carriers needed for the particular length of traverse being assembled. Going back one step further, to the factory where the carriers were made, an operator was required to count out the carriers to go into each box, because being of irregular shape, machine counting was impractical. Counting by weighing also was uneconomical because to assure a full count, each box necessarily included several extra carriers.

These problems have been solved by the present invention, which has for its object to provide for the manufacture of the individual carriers as a unit, each unit containing a predetermined number of individual carriers which are secured to each other by a severable connecting portion, and thereby to achieve economies and benefits in the factory where the carriers are molded, to provide quick and accurate assembly where the carriers are assembled in the traverse, and to provide means by which the user can quickly separate the carriers into individual slidable supporting members.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description. The illustrative embodiment set out in the drawings and described in detail herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims, but rather is intended to comply with 35 U.S.C. 112.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a ceiling mounted type of traverse with a unitized group of carriers embodying the principles of the invention, one carrier being severed from the group. One end of the traverse is broken off in order to conserve space.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of part of the group of carriers shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the carriers shown in Fig. 2, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a wall type traverse with a modified form of a unitized group of carriers also embodying the principles of the invention, one carrier being severed from the group. One end of the traverse is broken oil in order to conserve space.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in side elevation of part of the group of carriers shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the unitized carriers shown in Fig. 5 taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, a traverse or track 10 slidably supports a unitized group of carriers 11 and 30. Each group 11, 30 comprises a plurality of individual carriers 12, 20 connected in series by webs 13. The webs 13 are of small cross-sectional area relative to the carriers 12, 20 so that they are easily fractured, thereby separating the individual, independent carriers 12, 20.

Two main types of individual carriers 12, 20 are I shown: the carriers 12 represent the type used for ceilhas an upper portion 21 and a lower portion 22. The

outward facing side of the upper portion 21 may have two parallel, horizontal raised members 23 which serve to strengthen the thin body of the carrier 20.

On the opposite side, the upper portion 21 has a circular spacer 24 with a larger circular button-like portion 25 at its outward end, which prevents the carrier 20 from slipping out of the channel 16. The carriers 20 are inserted into the channel 16, by placing the spacer 24 between the edges 15, and then pushing them along the channel until all are within the traverse 10.

The lower or depending portion 22 of the carrier 20 may be narrower than the upper portion 21, and may have a slight bend 26 away from the outward facing side to bring the drape or other hanging material in as close against the wall as possible. Below the bend 26 is a hole 27, through which, as with the hole 17 of the carrier 12, a drapery hook 18 may be placed.

When the unitized carriers 30 are inserted into the traverse 11, and then broken apart, each carrier 20 is rotatable and will allow the drape to swing freely.

As stated earlier, this invention is characterized by the fact that the individual carriers 12, 20 are joined by the webbing 13 in unitized groups 11, 30. When the groups 11, 30 are being molded, an appropriate number of carriers 1'2, 20 may be formed. The number chosen may be whatever is deemed desirable, and in any event, the employment of a standard number per group makes the carriers 12, 26 easy to count for shipping, uniform packing, etc. Then, when the unitized groups 11, 30 are to be assembled in any particular traverse 10, the assembler may break off a smaller group to fit the circumstances or may put in two or more groups or portions thereof and insert them. Later on, whoever insalls the drapes may buy an assembled traverse containing grouped carriers. When hanging the drapes, he breaks the webbing 13, either by inserting a small wedge-like tool between successive carriers 12, 20 or merely by a snapping motion of his hand during insertion of the drapery hook 18 into the hole 17 or 27.

The problems presented during the manufacture, counting, boxing and installing of individual carriers have been eliminated by this invention, for the carriers are molded in unitized groups 11, 30 with the webbings 13 holding them together. Thus, counting out a shipment, which before could be done only by handling each individual carrier 12, 20 separately, is now done quickly and easily, say ten or twenty or fifty at a time. Shipping is also expedited, and when the unitized groups 11, 30 arrive at their destination, the assembly is a simple matter of inserting into the traverse 10 a group 11, 30 including the desired number of carriers. Insertion as a group thus eliminates the bothersome and time-consuming feeding of one carrier at a time into the traverse, while trying to remember how many already have been inserted. The

individual carriers 12, 20 are conveniently maintained as a group until just before use, when they are broken apart from the unitized group 11, 30 either by twisting when inserting the drapery hooks or as a separate operation with a screw driver or similar tool.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, changes in construction and difiering embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

In a device for supporting hangings such as draperies and the like comprising track means having a traverse channel with the edges thereof running substantially parallel to the centerline of said track means, the combination therewith of: curtain supporting means comprising a relatively long integral carrier unit having aligned like body members, each such member having an upper portion and a lower portion with said upper portion of each body member having a pair of aligned grooves running lengthwise of said unit on opposite sides thereof adapted to slidably engage the edges of said traverse channel; a plurality of equally spaced aligned holes in said lower portion, one in eaeh body member References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,998 Corner Ian. 28, 1941 2,320,308 Silverman May 25, 1943 2,335,294 Meyer Nov. 30, 1943 2,338,735 Person Jan. 11, 1944 2,435,561 Spinner Feb. '3, 1948 2,450,448 Sawyer Oct. 5, 1948 2,541,592 Lietaert Feb. 13, 1951 2,654,114 Graber et a1. Oct. 6, 1953 2,848,734 Ault Aug. 26, 1958 2,848,735 Ault et a1 Aug. 26, 1958 uemntw 

